Lake County Fielders

The Lake County Fielders were a professional minor league baseball team based in Zion, Illinois, located in Lake County in the northern reaches of the Chicago area. The Fielders were owned by Grand Slam Sports & Entertainment, LLC, based in Deerfield. The primary owner was Richard Ehrenreich. Actor Kevin Costner, whose filmography includes baseball films Bull Durham (1988), Field of Dreams (1989), and For Love of the Game (1999), also had ownership interest in the team. A permanent stadium was never constructed.

Lake County Fielders
Team logo Cap insignia
Information
LocationZion, Illinois
BallparkFielders Stadium (2010–2011)
Year founded2009
Year disbanded2012
Former name(s)Lake County Fielders (2010–2011)
Former ballparks
  • Carthage Baseball Field (2010)
Colorsnavy, burgundy, white, copper
       
OwnershipGrand Slam Sports & Entertainment, LLC (Richard Ehrenreich, managing partner)
Websitewww.fieldersbaseball.com

The Fielders were a member of the Northern League in 2010 and joined the North American League in 2011 as part of the Northern Division. The team announced on April 10, 2012 that they would not be fielding a team for the 2012 baseball season.[1]

Ballpark (Temporary)

The Fielders began play in 2010 at Carthage College because of funding problems with Zion Ballpark. The Fielders played their first game in Zion on July 2, 2010, at a young Fielders Stadium that didn't include much more than a field and bleachers. Lights were added to the field, and the Fielders played their first night game on Monday, July, 26.

After the conclusion of the 2010 season, the temporary ballpark was completely dismantled and construction on a new, permanent stadium was supposed to begin. The park was not ready in time for the beginning of the 2011 season, and, as a result, the Fielders started the season with a 32-game road trip. Temporary stadium construction was again completed in time for the Fielders' home opener on July 3, 2011.

Founding

The team held a name-the-team contest to decide the nickname. The five finalists were Cowpokes, Luckies, Fielders, Comets, and Skippers. The Fielders name, logo, and colors were unveiled on May 27, 2009 at the Key Lime Cove indoor waterpark in nearby Gurnee, also home to Gurnee Mills and Six Flags Great America.

Media

Fielder games were broadcast live on WKRS-AM (1220) and wkrs.com with Qumar Zaman (who quit on air over financial disputes)[2] and Les Grobstein (some games) on the play-by-play. The team got so transient that the new announcers could not refer to the players by name on many occasions.

Awards

Northern League (2010)
  • Joshua Short - 2010 Rookie of the Year[3]
  • Joshua Short - 2010 End of Year All-Star Team (DH)[4]

North American League (2011)

All-Stars

Northern League (2010)

North American League (2011)

2011 (No All-Star Game)

Former Major Leaguers
  • Jason Pearson[9] (2010)

Contracts Purchased by MLB

Managers
  • Fran Riordan (41-59 .410 Pct.) (2010)[12]
  • Tim "TJ" Johnson (27-35 .435 Pct.) (2011)[13]
  • Pete LaCock (0-1 .000 Pct.) (Interim) (2011)[14]
  • Chris Thompson (0-1 .000 Pct.) (Interim) (2011)
  • Chris Arago (3-20 .130 Pct.) (2011)

Season Finishes

Northern League (2010)

North American League (North Division) (2011)
  • 2011 - (27–36) 4th place (Pct.), 5th place (Wins) (did not finish official regular season)[16]

References
  1. "The Lake County Fielders cancel the 2012 season". 10 April 2012.
  2. "Minor League Baseball Play By Play Man Quits On Air". 18 July 2011.
  3. "Josh Short named Northern League Rookie Player of the Year — Gurnee news, photos and events — TribLocal.com".
  4. "Short named to 2010 Northern League Post-Season All-Star Team — Gurnee news, photos and events — TribLocal.com".
  5. "North American Baseball League - News".
  6. "North American Baseball League - News".
  7. "BaseballAmerica.com: Minors: Independent Audit: 2011 Independent League Top 10 Prospects". www.baseballamerica.com.
  8. "Northern League Announces All-Star Roster - OurSports Central". www.oursportscentral.com.
  9. "2010 Lake County Fielders Statistics - Baseball-Reference.com". Baseball-Reference.com.
  10. Ward purchased by Reds | Lake County Fielders Archived 2013-01-23 at Archive.today
  11. saltdogs.com: Releases Archived 2012-04-15 at the Wayback Machine
  12. "Fran Riordan Independent Leagues Statistics & History - Baseball-Reference.com". Baseball-Reference.com.
  13. "Tim Johnson Winter & Minor Leagues Statistics & History - Baseball-Reference.com". Baseball-Reference.com.
  14. Espinoza, Alex (July 9, 2011). "Scorpions beat Fielders with lineup of pitchers". Yuma Sun. Archived from the original on July 17, 2011.
  15. "nlfan.com: Northern League 2010 Standings & Awards". www.nlfan.com.
  16. "North American Baseball League - North American League".
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